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Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia

 

Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) (Risk Rated Premium and Special Tuition Protection Components) Instrument 2025

I, Katherine Tagg, acting TPS Director, make the following instrument.

Dated 3 December 2025    

Katherine Tagg

Acting TPS Director

 

 

Contents

Part 1—Introduction

1  Name

2  Commencement

3  Authority

4  Definitions

5  Schedules

Part 2 – Risk rated premium component

6  Risk rated premium component

7  Risk factor - base

8  Risk factor - length of operation

9  Risk factor - volatility in overseas student enrolments

10  Risk factor - maximum overseas source country concentration

11  Risk factor - non-compliance and registration renewal

12  Recalculation of risk factors when registrations amalgamated and national registration on CRICOS is finalised during 2025

Part 3—Special tuition protection component

13  Special tuition protection component

Schedule 1—Repeals

Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) (Risk Rated Premium and Special Tuition Protection Components) Instrument  2024

 

 

Part 1—Introduction

1  Name

  This instrument is the Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) (Risk Rated Premium and Special Tuition Protection Components) Instrument 2025.

2  Commencement

 (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

• Commencement information
• Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
• Provisions Commencement Date/Details
• 1. Parts 1 to 3 31 December 2025
• 2. Schedule 1 1 January 2026

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.

 (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.

3  Authority

  This instrument is made under sections 9 and 10 of the Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Act 2012.

4  Definitions

Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in the definitions section of the Act, including the following:

(a) risk rated premium component;

(b) special tuition protection component.

  In this instrument:

Act means the Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) Act 2012.

CRICOS means the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.

CRICOS annual registration charge means a CRICOS annual registration charge imposed by the Education Services for Overseas Students (Registration Charges) Act 1997 as in force for a year referred to in subsection 11(2).

ESOS Act means the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000.

length of operation, for a provider, means the number of years that the provider has been registered on CRICOS as a registered provider:

 (a) beginning at the time the provider was registered, or last registered, as a registered provider; and

 (b) ending on 31 December 2025.

non-exempt provider means a registered provider that the Minister has not exempted under paragraph 12(b) of the Act from the requirement to pay the risk rated premium component.

overseas student has the same meaning as in the ESOS Act.

overseas student enrolments means the total enrolments of overseas students for a registered provider worked out in accordance with section 4A of the Act.

provider has the same meaning as in the ESOS Act.

registered provider has the same meaning as in the ESOS Act.

risk management means the ESOS agency for a provider uses a risk management approach under subsection 10E(2) of the ESOS Act, and as a result, decides to renew the provider’s registration for a period less than the maximum period allowed.

Note: An ESOS agency for a provider may decide to renew a provider’s registration for a period less than the maximum period allowed for reasons that are not due to risk management. For example, a shorter registration renewal may be appropriate for administrative reasons, such as aligning or staggering a registered provider’s CRICOS period of registration with the provider’s domestic period of registration.

TPS levy has the same meaning as in the ESOS Act.

tuition fees has the same meaning as in the ESOS Act.

5  Schedules

  Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Part 2 – Risk rated premium component

6  Risk rated premium component

 (1) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(a) of the Act, the specified percentage for 2026 is 0.05%.

 (2) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(b) of the Act, the following risk factors are specified:

 (a) base;

 (b) length of operation;

 (c) volatility in overseas student enrolments;

 (d) maximum overseas source country concentration; and

 (e) non-compliance and registration renewal. 

7  Risk factor - base

Application

 (1) The base risk factor applies to all non‑exempt providers.

Factor by which specified percentage is multiplied

 (2) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(c) of the Act, the factor by which the specified percentage is multiplied is 1.0.

8  Risk factor - length of operation

Application

 (1) The length of operation risk factor applies to all non‑exempt providers.

Factor by which specified percentage is multiplied

 (2) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(c) of the Act, the factor by which the specified percentage is multiplied is that set out in the following table:

 

• Registered provider’s length of operation
• Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
• Item If a registered provider’s length of operation is … then the increase factor is …
• 1 less than 1 year 1.0
• 2 1 year or more but less than 2 years 0.5
• 3 2 years or more 0.0

9  Risk factor - volatility in overseas student enrolments

Application

 (1) The volatility in overseas student enrolments risk factor applies to a non-exempt provider that:

 (a) has a length of operation of 2 years or more; and

 (b) had either or both of the following in 2025:

 (i) at least 20 overseas student enrolments;

 (ii) $400,000 or more in tuition fee income received.

 (2) The risk factor does not apply to a non-exempt provider where the provider’s proportion of overseas students is less than 20% of its total student population.

Working out the percentage of a registered provider’s volatility in overseas student enrolments

 (3) For the purposes of subsection (4), a registered provider’s volatility in overseas student enrolments is either:

 (a) if a registered provider did not have overseas student enrolments in 2025 – 0%; or

 (b) if a registered provider had overseas student enrolments in 2025 – the percentage worked out using the following formula:

Start formula open bracket start fraction number of overseas student enrolments in 2025 over number of overseas student enrolments in 2024, minus 1 close brackets multiplied by 100 end formula

Factor by which specified percentage is multiplied

 (4) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(c) of the Act and subject to subsection (5), the factor by which the specified percentage is multiplied is that set out in the following table:

 

• Registered provider’s volatility in overseas student enrolments
• Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
• Item If a registered provider’s volatility in overseas student enrolments is … then the increase factor is …
• 1 120% or more 3.5
• 2 105% to less than 120% 3.0
• 3 90% to less than 105% 2.5
• 4 75% to less than 90% 1.8
• 5 60% to less than 75% 1.2
• 6 45% to less than 60% 0.6
• 7 30% to less than 45% 0.4
• 8 -15% to less than 30% 0.0
• 9 -30% to less than -15% 1.5
• 10 -45% to less than -30% 2.0
• 11 -60% to less than -45% 3.0
• 12 Less than -60% 3.5

 (5) If a registered provider has been operating for less than 5 years, the increase factor set out in subsection (4) is reduced by the percentage set out in the following table:

 

• Registered provider’s volatility in overseas student enrolments
• Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
• Item If a registered provider’s length of operation is … then the increase factor is reduced by…
• 1 less than 2 years 100%
• 2 2 years or more but less than 3 years 75%
• 3 3 years or more but less than 4 years 50%
• 4 4 years or more but less than 5 years 25%

10  Risk factor - maximum overseas source country concentration

Application

 (1) The maximum overseas source country concentration risk factor applies to a non-exempt provider that had either or both of the following in 2025:

 (a) at least 20 overseas student enrolments;

 (b) $400,000 or more in tuition fee income received.

 (2) The risk factor does not apply to a non-exempt provider where the provider’s proportion of overseas students is less than 20% of its total student population.

Working out the maximum overseas source country concentration percentage

 (3) For the purposes of subsection (4), a registered provider’s maximum overseas source country concentration percentage is worked out using the formula:

 start formula start fraction largest number of overseas student enrolments for a country over total number of overseas student enrolments end fraction times 100 end formula

  where:

largest number of overseas student enrolments for a country in 2025 means, of the number of overseas student enrolments with the registered provider for each overseas source country in 2025, the largest number of enrolments for any of those overseas source countries in 2025.

total number of overseas student enrolments in 2025 means the total number of overseas student enrolments with the registered provider in 2025.

Factor by which specified percentage is multiplied

 (4) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(c) of the Act, the factor by which the specified percentage is multiplied is that set out in the following table:

 

• Registered provider’s maximum overseas source country concentration
• Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
• Item If a registered provider’s maximum overseas source country concentration is … then the increase factor is …
• 1 80% or more 3.1
• 2 50% or more but less than 80% 0.7
• 3 25% or more but less than 50% 0.3
• 4 less than 25% 0.0

11  Risk factor - non-compliance and registration renewal

Application

 (1) The non-compliance and registration renewal risk factor applies to all non-exempt providers.

Working out the weighted late payment measure

 (2) For the purposes of subsection (3), a registered provider’s weighted late payment measure is worked out by adding the results of the calculations in the following paragraphs:

 (a) for 2025, work out 0.7 x [CLP + TLP];

 (b) for 2024, work out 0.2 x [CLP + TLP];

 (c) for 2023, work out 0.1 x [CLP + TLP].

where:

CLP is the CRICOS Annual Registration Charge Late Payment, for a year, which means:

 (a) the number of days after the due date on which the CRICOS annual registration charge for that year was received; or

 (b) if payment was received on or before the due date or the charge was not payable for that year—zero.

TLP is the Tuition Protection Late Payment, for a year, which means:

 (a) the number of days after the due date on which the TPS levy payable for that year was received; or

 (b) if the TPS levy was received on or before the due date or the charge was not payable for that year—zero.

Factor by which specified percentage is multiplied

 (3) For the purposes of paragraph 9(3)(c) of the Act and subject to subsection (4), the factor by which the specified percentage is multiplied is that set out in the following table:

 

• Registered provider’s non-compliance and registration renewal
• Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
• Item If a registered provider … then the increase factor is …
• 1 has a weighted late payment measure of 30 days or more 2.0
• 2 has a weighted late payment measure of 15 days or more but less than 30 days 0.9
• 3 has a weighted late payment measure of 1 day or more but less than 15 days 0.7
• 4 has a weighted late payment measure of less than 1 day (including having a weighted late payment measure of 0) 0.0
• 5 had action mentioned in section 83 of the ESOS Act taken against it in 2025 1.0
• 6 applied under section 10D of the ESOS Act to renew the provider’s registration and, due to risk management, the period of registration set out in the notice given in 2025 under section 10G of that Act is less than the maximum period allowed 1.0
• 7 had at least one student default under section 47A of the ESOS Act that led to the TPS Director paying a refund to the student in 2025 under section 50B of the ESOS Act 1.0

 (4) Where more than one item in the table at subsection (3) applies, the increase factor is the sum of the factors in column 3.

12  Recalculation of risk factors when registrations amalgamated and national registration on CRICOS is finalised during 2025

 (1) This section applies if a provider amalgamates 2 or more registrations on CRICOS into a single registration through the national registration process in 2025.

Note: For the process to request amalgamation, see item 96 of Schedule 2 to the Education Services for Overseas Students Legislation Amendment (Tuition Protection Service and Other Measures) Act 2012.

 (2) If this section applies to a provider, the provider’s risk factors in sections 7 to 11 are to be recalculated as follows:

 (a) the length of operation risk factor is to be calculated in respect of the resultant amalgamated registration for the period:

 (i) beginning at the start of the longest‑running registration in the amalgamation; and

 (ii) ending on 31 December 2025;

 (b) the volatility in overseas student enrolments risk factor is to be calculated using subsection 9(3), but treating the number of overseas student enrolments for a year as the sum of student enrolments for all registrations in that year that were amalgamated into the single registration;

 (c) the maximum overseas source country concentration risk factor is to be calculated using subsection 10(3), as follows:

 (i) the number of enrolments for each overseas source country is to be calculated as the sum of the enrolments for that overseas source country with each of the registrations that were amalgamated into the single registration;

 (ii) the total number of enrolments is to be calculated as the sum of the total number of enrolments for all registrations that were amalgamated into the single registration;

 (d) the non-compliance and registration renewal risk factor is to be calculated for the resultant amalgamated registration as follows:

 (i) the weighted late payment measure is the sum of the amount calculated using subsection 11(2) for each registration that was amalgamated into the single registration;

 (ii) if any of items 5, 6 or 7 in the table in subsection 11(3) apply to any registration that was amalgamated, the increase factor for the resultant amalgamated registration is 1.0 for that item;

 (e) the overseas students tuition fee income for 2025 is to be calculated as the sum of the overseas students tuition fee income for the courses in relation to all registrations that were amalgamated into the single registration.

 

Part 3—Special tuition protection component

13  Special tuition protection component

  For the purposes of subsection 10(2) of the Act, the specified percentage for 2026 is 0%.

 

Schedule 1—Repeals

Education Services for Overseas Students (TPS Levies) (Risk Rated Premium and Special Tuition Protection Components) Instrument  2024

1  The whole of the instrument

Repeal the instrument